LATE BREAKING: WIDOWS TO OPEN BFI-LONDON FEST
News early this morning from Britain that Steve McQueen's Widows will open the BFI-London Film Fest on Oct. 10th. Of particular interest is that fact that the film is listed as its International Premiere. That means a couple of things. It will not have played Venice but, as it is not the World Premiere, it will have played somewhere else prior to BFI-London. If I understand the designation that would mean that it would be playing in London for the first time outside its nation of origin.
To me that sounds like a Telluride play though I have seen some commentary that it could mean Toronto. I think the former os more likely.
Here's the release from the BFI-London Fest:
LONDON, Thursday 12th July, 2018 – The 62nd BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express® is thrilled to announce that this year’s Opening Night gala will be Academy Award®- winner Steve M cQueen’s WIDOWS. The International premiere will take place on Wednesday 10th October at the Cineworld, Leicester Square. Co-written by McQueen and best-selling novelist and screenwriter Gillian Flynn and starring Academy Award®- winner Viola Davis, WIDOWS is a complex thriller about a group of women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands' criminal activities. A star-studded ensemble cast includes: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya and Jacki Weaver with Robert Duvall and Liam Neeson. BFI Fellow, WIDOWS Director and Co-Writer Steve McQueen comments: “I am absolutely delighted that WIDOWS will be opening this year's BFI London Film Festival. Watching the UK TV version of Lynda La Plante's original thriller as a teenager in the 80s had a major impact on me and so it feels very special to be sharing this film with a UK audience." BFI London Film Festival Artistic Director, Tricia Tuttle says: “We treasure the work of BFI Fellow and Festival alumni Steve McQueen, so it’s an utter pleasure to open our Festival with the International Premiere of WIDOWS. Adapted from a ground-breaking UK television classic into a feature to savour on the biggest cinema screens, this is scintillatingly rich storytelling from a magnificent filmmaker, probing issues around race, class and gender, while always delivering immense style and crackingly sharp thrills.” From Steve M cQueen (12 Years a Slave) and co-writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) comes a blistering, modernday thriller set against the backdrop of crime, passion and corruption. Taking place in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of political and class turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. WIDOWS also stars Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Daniel Kaluuya, Lukas Haas and Brian Tyree Henry. Based on the TV series “Widows” by Lynda La Plante, the film sees Steve M cQueen serve as producer, together with Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Arnon Milchan. From Twentieth Century Fox, Regency Enterprises and See-Saw Films in association with Film4, WIDOWS is released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 9 November. The 62nd BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express® takes place from Wednesday 10 October-Sunday 21 October 2018. The full Festival programme will be announced on Thursday 30 August 2018.
THE USUAL SUSPECTS 2018-PART TWO
I started on Tuesday looking at people with significant Telluride pasts that have films that could make an appearance at TFF #45. Tuesday's crew was Barry Jenkins, Steve McQueen, Jacques Audiard, Jason Reitman and Alfonso Cuaron (with an assist from Alejandro Inarritu).
Today a look at six more:
Ken Burns...a Telluride staple. Burns doesn't officially seem to have anything ready, however he's been working on his Muhammed Ali documentary for PBS since March of last year. It's not outside the realm of possibility that some or all of that might show up on a screen in Telluride over Labor Day.
Roger Michell...Michell has been to Telluride in the past with Hyde Park on Hudson, Venus and Persuasion and Enduring Love. He's been to T-ride a lot and this year has a special documentary... Nothing Like a Dame features four grand dames of British acting: Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Eileen Atkins. IFC Films has the U.S. distribution. Definitely think this is possible.
Sebastian Lelio...Great T-ride success for Lelio in the recent past with Gloria in 2013 and A Fantastic Woman last year. This year his Disobedience made a splash. Now, he could possibly return to Telluride with the English language version of Gloria starring Julianne Moore in the title role. The film is reportedly in post-production. Would it be odd to see the new version of a film that played in TFF in 2013? Sure, but not impossible.
Mark Cousins...Cousins was, at one time, one of the surest picks for TFF. The Story of Film, What is This Film Called Love?, The Story of Children and Film but he hasn't been in the San Juans since 2013. That could change this year with his latest doc, The Eyes of Orson Welles. I could certainly see that being a selection to complement the expected screenings of Welles' The Other Side of the Wind...which seems very likely to me to play TFF.
Mike Leigh...Leigh has also deep T-ride roots with High Hopes, Naked, Secrets and Lies (as a part of his 1996 tribute), Happy-Go-Lucky, Another Year and more. And he has a new film ready to go: Peterloo. I have been thinking its inclusion is a no-brainer...but...I've heard some rumblings over the past week and the latest from Mr. Leigh may be less likely a cinch than I originally thought. Peterloo may be out of the Ten Bets tomorrow.
TRAILERS ARE HAPPENIN'
Yesterday gave us a couple of new posters for Mary Queen of Scots starring Saorise Ronan and Margot Robbie. Additionally, we found out that a trailer for the film will drop today. I'll tweet that out on my @Gort account when that happens and include it here tomorrow.
We also know from earlier in the week via Anton Volkov's Trailer Track website that On the Basis of Sex should be showing up with a trailer very soon as well.
Last night Volkov let spill that a trailer for Boy Erased is also soon to be released. That story is linked here.
Very exciting that we're going to get to see the wares from Focus Features.
ACQUISITION NEWS
A couple of pieces of intriguing acquisition news. Magnolia has reported nabbed domestic rights to Matteo Garrone's Dogman. The film played well at Cannes. It could portend at Telluride play. Or not. Magnolia hasn't placed a film at T-ride since Viva! in 2015.
Also in the news was Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate/ LD Entertainment acquiring the Julia Roberts starrer Ben Is Back, also starring Lucas Hedges (who also has Boy Erased in place for this fall). The film has been dated for a Dec. 7th release making me wonder if it will also see some time on the fall fest circuit.
The Dogman story is here from The Hollywood Reporter.
The Ben Is Back story is here from The Hollywood Reporter as well as The Wrap.
That's your Thursday. Tomorrow will have the 3rd Ten Bets for TFF #45 and should have the trailer for Mary Queen of Scots. Come on back!
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